Johns Hopkins EpiWatch: App and Research Study

Track Your Seizures and Medications While Advancing Epilepsy Research

Johns Hopkins EpiWatch: App and Research Study

What is EpiWatch?

Johns Hopkins EpiWatch™ is an app for Apple Watch™ and research study. EpiWatch helps you manage your epilepsy by tracking your seizures and possible triggers, medications and side effects. You can view this information at any time, and a dashboard lets you share a summary of the data with your doctor or caregiver if you want. With EpiWatch, you can also send a message to family members or caregivers to let them know when you are tracking a seizure.

Track your Seizures as You Contribute Vital Data to Epilepsy Research

EpiWatch gives you a chance to help epilepsy research by sharing the data about your seizures. By entering data into EpiWatch, you can monitor your condition as you help Johns Hopkins researchers better understand epilepsy and potentially improve treatment.The researchers conducting this study are exploring whether a future app could potentially detect seizures, estimate their duration and contact caregivers, all using Apple Watch.

A new feature to EpiWatch enables participants to schedule continuous recording using a timer or to turn on continuous tracking in order to collect seizure data overnight or if they may be having seizures without warning symptoms. This may be particularly helpful for participants with histories of seizures during sleep.

Please note: EpiWatch is not a seizure detector. You should not rely on EpiWatch to get help for your seizures.

Download a flier to share EpiWatch information with colleagues, patients, friends and family members.

How the App and Study Work

Johns Hopkins EpiWatch enables you to take surveys, enter daily journals and participate in other activities so you and Hopkins researchers can better understand your entire experience — your seizures, treatments and medication side effects. The app also includes an interactive game to measure a seizure’s impact on your responsiveness.

The collected data from the heart rate accelerometer and gyroscope in Apple Watch enable Johns Hopkins researchers to measure changes in your heart rate and movement during a seizure.

EpiWatch is not a seizure detector. You should not rely on EpiWatch to get help for your seizures.

Who’s Eligible?

You can participate in this study if you are at least 16 years old and …

Own an Apple Watch model that is paired with an iPhone (both must be running the latest update of iOS).

Have epilepsy and have had at least one seizure in the past year.

Not have any major learning or physical disabilities that would impair your ability to interact with the app while participating in this study. (NOTE: Family and caregivers may help you carry out some of the activities of the study.)

Be able to open this app on Apple Watch at the beginning of at least some of your seizures. If you tend to experience auras, or warning sensations, you may be able to perform the tasks needed for this study.

Caregivers or family members may also open the app for you if you are unable.

How to Join the Study

Your use of the app and participation in this study is entirely voluntary. If you choose to participate:

Install EpiWatch app on Apple Watch and iPhone.

Complete the Eligibility Questionnaire.

Read through the electronic guide describing the app and this study, then answer questions so we can verify your understanding.

Review an information sheet on the app and this study and acknowledge you have read this and agree to participate in the research by signing it electronically.